Pro-Palestinian Protest at Barnard College Leads to Assault and College Response
A protest demanding the reversal of expulsions escalated, resulting in an employee’s hospitalization and heightened tensions on campus
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Demonstrations have largely died down in 2025, in part due to protest restrictions imposed by campuses to prevent a repeat of the unrest in the last school year.
Pro-Palestinian students stage sit-in at Barnard College to protest expulsions
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The sit-in at Barnard Wednesday garnered backlash from advocates for free speech and pro-Israel organizations.
Pro-Palestinian protestors forcibly enter building at Barnard, school employee hospitalized
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However, the group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine had posted on X: "We do not need outside support for the sit-in." Instead, anyone who wanted to support was asked to head to a rally in Bay Ridge instead.
NBC News·2M·ReliableThis source consistently reports facts with minimal bias, demonstrating high-quality journalism and accuracy.CenterThis outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.Tonight, a small group of masked protesters attempted to undermine Barnard's core values of respect, inclusion, and academic excellence.
Barnard Pro-Palestinian Protesters Seize Hall
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Summary
Pro-Palestinian student protesters at Barnard College staged a sit-in, forcibly entering a building and injuring an employee. The protest aimed to reverse expulsions of students disciplined for a prior disruptive act related to Israel. College officials condemned the violence and temporarily suspended classes. The ongoing situation reflects deep tensions surrounding campus activism related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Perspectives
Pro-Palestinian protests at Barnard College involved masked students forcibly entering a campus building and leading a sit-in to demand the reversal of recent student expulsions for interrupting a class on Israeli history.
Some protesters have claimed that the expulsion of two students for their disruptive actions was excessive, while critics argue that the protests involved violence and intimidation, undermining the safety and values of the college community.
The protests at Barnard are reflective of larger national tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses, with calls for academic freedom and responses from both supporters and opponents of the movement.